7 September 2021
At Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, we’re guided by the value of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and aim to do our part to preserve New Zealand’s natural taonga (treasures).
As part of the work underway to construct a safer route than the steep, narrow and winding road over Mt Messenger on State Highway 3 (SH3), Waka Kotahi is working with Ngāti Tama to restore over 3,650 hectares of land in this area.
“We’re trying to bring back the mauri, the naturalness, to that area,” says Paul Silich, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Tama Chair.
Restoration work being done as part of this project involves pest control targeting deer, goats, possums, rats, rabbits, and stoats. This will protect native animals in the area and restore the ngahere (forest) by allowing native plants to thrive instead of being eaten as saplings by pests.
“Once this ngahere starts regenerating, it will be awesome for our moko (children) to see. That’s the benefit for our future generations,” says Conrad O’Carroll, Ngāti Tama Biodiversity Manager.
Already, kōkako have been reintroduced and planting has begun on 30 hectares of land.
Mt Messenger Bypass project
2021–24 NLTP Taranaki regional summary
